Yesterday we ooh'ed over Charlize Theron's lavender-blue-silvery-gray eyeshadow, but there was something else noteworthy about the way she looked--one perfect-as-can-be ponytail. What makes a ponytail perfect? Well here are my thoughts on the matter--then you guys can chime in.

I love how the ends of Charlize's pony flip outward (achieve this with a round brush), but any variation that prevents the ends from just laying flat and boring will work; a curled tail is similarly adorable. Flat ends make a ponytail look blah and everyday, like one you'd wear to the gym (unless you flat-iron them to make them sleek and polished).

2. The presence of a part

You don't have to fully center-part your ponytail like Charlize did--obviously that's not flattering for every face. But even just side-parting some bangs or wisps adds a little something to the front-view of the pony, so your hair isn't just slicked straight back off the forehead. A little bit of part just adds so much more ... style.

3. Shine! And lack of frizz

Smoothing some shine serum/spray along the crown and down the length of your tail adds just the right amount of finish. It's like hey, this is an actual hairstyle, not just a last-resort ponytail because I woke up late this morning and didn't have time to shampoo.

The only thing that could make Charlize's pony more perfect is if she had wrapped her contrasting elastic in a small section of hair. But I won't hold this against her.

But hey, ponytails are obviously a subjective science. What factors do YOU think make a pony look perfect versus everyday/ho-hum?